A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

Making History

Full-Length Play, Drama  /  2w, 4m

Brian Friel

Making History
by Brian Friel

"The premise is an intriguing one, and Friel sets forth both sides with a clinical and cynical dissection that is fascinating." - New York Daily News

"Friel's most accomplished and important play since Translations. It has the …

Making History

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    2w, 4m
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Period, Docudrama/Historic
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult, Senior

Details

Summary
This brilliant work by Ireland's pre eminent playwright plunges into the world of Hugh O'Neill, an Irish hero who led an ill fated uprising in alliance with Spain against the British in 1591, a conflict which culminated in ignominious defeat at the Battle of Kinsale. The play begins shortly after O'Neill's controversial marriage to the sister of the British "Butcher Bagenal" who is famous for slaughtering Irish villagers. The battle occurs between acts and then the myth of O'Neill is created by his biographer, Archbishop Peter Lombard. O'Neill ends up a hapless drunk in Rome while Lombard rewrites history to satisfy the Irish craving for legend.
Keywords
M4 (20s, 40s)
F2 (20s)
  • Time Period 17th Century
  • Setting A living-room, a thicket, a palace apartment
  • Features Period Costumes
  • Cautions
    • Mild Adult Themes

Licensing & Materials

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Authors

Brian Friel

Brian Friel

Brian Friel (1929-2015), largely considered modern Ireland’s leading playwright, was born to a schoolmaster and a postmistress. After working as a teacher in Derry for ten years, he married Anne Morrison and moved to Donegal to begin writing in earnest. His first significant ...

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